Moyinkutty Vaidyar (1852–1892), often referred to as ''Mahakavi'' (great poet), is historically considered one of the most renowned poets of the
Mappila pattu
Mappila songs (or ''Mappila Paattu'') are a folklore Muslim song genre rendered to lyrics, within a melodic framework ( Ishal), in Arabi Malayalam by the Mappilas of the Malabar region in Kerala, India. Mappila songs have a distinct cultural id ...
genre of
Malayalam language
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
.
Personal life
Moyinkutty was born to Unni Mammad and Kunjamina in 1852 at Ottuparakkuzhi, near
Kondotti
Kondotty is a developing town, municipality, and aerotropolis in the Malappuram district state of Kerala, India which is located near Calicut International Airport, 24 km from Malappuram. It is the headquarters of Kondotty Taluk, which was ...
in
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of including the surrounding suburban areas. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarter ...
district. Unni Mammad was famous practitioner of
Ayurvedic
Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...
medicine and a poet too. He lived longer than his son and completed his unfinished work titled ''Hijra'' from the 27th ''Ishal'' onwards.
Moyinkutty continued his family tradition of Ayurvedic medical practice and learnt Sanskrit and Arabic languages.
[Pg 88, Malayalam literary survey: Volume 16, Issue 1 – Volume 17, Issue 4, Kēraḷa Sāhitya Akkādami – 1994] He died at the age of 40 in 1892 leaving behind his wife, two sons and a daughter. No known photograph or painting of the poet exists today and none of his descendants survived after his children.
Early works
At a very young age of seventeen, he composed the romantic epic ''Badarul Munir – Husnul Jamal (1872)'' . It narrates a fictional love story between Prince Badarul Muneer, the son of the King Mahazin of Ajmeer and Husnul Jamal, daughter of his minister Mazmir. Most of the events narrated are pure fantasy, with plots involving the transformation of the hero into a bird and back, and frequent interactions with
Jinn
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also Romanization of Arabic, romanized as djinn or Anglicization, anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are Invisibility, invisible creatures in early Arabian mytho ...
s.
[Pg 99–103, Mappilappattu – Padhavum Padhanavum ( Mappila songs – Study and Lessons) – Balakrishnan Vallikkunnu and Dr. Umar Tharamel, D.C. Books, 2006]
Padappattu
Later works by the poet followed a very different pattern. These works were essentially war songs in nature. The ''Badar Padappattu'' and ''Malappuram Padappatt'' are the most popular songs of this genre.
Badar Padappattu
''Shabvathul Badarul Kubra'', more popularly known as the ''Badar Padappattu'' is considered one of the finest compositions of ''Mappilappattu''.
[Pg 56–65, Mappilappattu – Padhavum Padhanavum ( Mappila songs – Study and Lessons) – Balakrishnan Vallikkunnu and Dr. Umar Tharamel, D.C. Books, 2006] It narrates the tale of the
Battle of Badr
The Battle of Badr ( ar, غَزْوَةُ بَدِرْ ), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (, ) in the Quran, Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan (calendar month), Ramadan, 2 Anno Hegirae, AH), near the ...
by Prophet Muhammed and his companions.
Malappuram Padappattu
The ''Malappuram Padappattu'' (1883), also known as the ''Madhinidhi Mala'' describes the undercurrents of peasant life and struggles in
Malappuram
Malappuram (also Malapuram) () is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of including the surrounding suburban areas. The first municipality in the district formed in 1970, Malappuram serves as the administrative headquarter ...
in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1763, a local landlord named Para Nambi had a dispute with one of his officers named Ali Marakkar. The dispute escalated to a major battle between the landlord's men and the Mappilas and the lower caste Hindus amongst the tenants. 44 Mappilas and a lower caste Hindu of the ''Thattaan'' (goldsmith) caste lost their lives in the battle. They were eulogised later by the Mappilas. Some time later, the Nambi felt remorse at his deed and decided to make up with the Mappilas. This was the theme of the ''Malappuram Padappattu''. The work was composed with 68 , four and a . It also makes references to the story of the King
Cheraman Perumal
Perumal (the 'Great One') is the name of a Hindu deity.
It was also a medieval Indian royal title of:
*Western Ganga dynasty Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Perumāḷs of Kerala''. Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 171.
**Sripurusha
**Rajamalla
**Nitim ...
who is said to have journeyed to
Makkah
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow va ...
and converted to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
.
[Pg 101, Journal of Kerala studies, Volume 6, University of Kerala., 1979][Pg 43, Kerala Muslims: a historical perspective, Asgharali Engineer, Ajanta Publications, 1995][Pg 193 Kerala District Gazetteers: Malappuram, Kerala (India), A. Sreedhara Menon, printed by the Superintendent of Govt. Presses]
Other works
Other major works of the poet include:
[A profile of Moyinkutty Vaidyar, Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Smarakam, Government of Kerala, Kondotty (see pic)]
* ''Salaseel''
* ''Elippada'' (The battle of the rats, based on a
Panchatantra
The ''Panchatantra'' (IAST: Pañcatantra, ISO: Pañcatantra, sa, पञ्चतन्त्र, "Five Treatises") is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story. tale )
* ''Ottakathinteyum maaninteyum katha'' ( The story of the camel and the deer)
* ''Bethilappattu'' (songs which appreciate the advantages of using
betel leaf
The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plant ...
, the customs and folkways associated).
* ''Hijra''
* ''Kilathimala''
* ''Moolapuranam''
* ''Uhad Padappattu'' (tells the legendary story of
Uhud war)
* ''Theevandichinth''
* ''Swaleeqath''
* ''Mullappoocholayil''
* ''Karamath Mala''
Style
The songs of Moyinkutty Vaidyar are distinguished by their depth of imagination, the beauty of the metaphors used, the creativity comparisons involved and the variety of their ''ishals'' (tunes/modes).
His poems depicted the emotional manifestation of Muslims of the day, using literary forms such as romanticism, devotionalism and social realism.
The vivid portrayal of the movements of the horses in the battlefield in Vaidyar's ''Badar Padappattu'' is a particular example of the poet's style. The galloping of the stallions, their hoof-falls, their lightning speed, the tails fluttering and flying in the wind, the excitement of the riders pulling the bridle and the horses rearing up – together provide the reader a very peculiar effect.
The poems are also notable for the hybrid language of Arabi Malayalam, Sanskrit and at times full sentences in pure Arabic.
[An Analysis on Hybridization in Arabi Malayalam. Prof Saidalavi Cheerangote. April 2012 International Review of Social Sciences & Humanities;2012, Vol. 3 Issue 1, p96]
Legacy
In 1999, then
Chief Minister of Kerala
The chief minister of Kerala is the chief executive of the Indian state of Kerala. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Fol ...
,
E. K. Nayanar inaugurated the
Maha kavi moyinkutty vaidyar smaraka at the poet's birthplace in
Kondotty
Kondotty is a developing town, municipality, and aerotropolis in the Malappuram district state of Kerala, India which is located near Calicut International Airport, 24 km from Malappuram. It is the headquarters of Kondotty Taluk, which wa ...
as a cultural centre to attract research into the annotations of ''Badar pattu'', and its studies and interpretations in
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
. The centre runs certificate courses in ''Mappilappattu'' and ''Mappila kali''. It also has a folklore study centre, reference library and a historical museum attached to it. Each year it conducts the ''Vaidyar Mahotsavam'', a two or three-day festival that includes cultural and literary programmes related to all
Mappila
Mappila Muslim, often shortened to Mappila, formerly anglicized as Moplah/Mopla and historically known as Jonaka/Chonaka Mappila or Moors Mopulars/Mouros da Terra and Mouros Malabares, in general, is a member of the Muslim community of same n ...
art forms. The Vaidyar Memorial Lecture is also delivered during the festival.
In 2005, a two volume compilation of his works were released as a book ''Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar, Sampoorna Krithikal'' by the
Kondotty
Kondotty is a developing town, municipality, and aerotropolis in the Malappuram district state of Kerala, India which is located near Calicut International Airport, 24 km from Malappuram. It is the headquarters of Kondotty Taluk, which wa ...
based ''Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Smaraka Samithi'' under the aegis of the Culture Department,
Government of Kerala
Government of Kerala is the subnational government of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision ...
. The songs were compiled by historians K.K. Mohammed Kareem and K. Abubacker.
[Remembering Moyinkutty The Hindu Thursday, Jun 30, 2005](_blank)
/ref>
In 2010, a biographical work titled ''Ishal Chakravarthy Moyinkutty Vaidyar'' authored by Basheer Chunkathara was published by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi
The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...
.[Pg 70–72, Ishal Paithrukam, Quarterly Magazine of the Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Memorial Center for Studies and Research on Folk and Mappila Arts (SCARF)Vol 1]
See also
* Mappila songs
Mappila songs (or ''Mappila Paattu'') are a folklore Muslim song genre rendered to lyrics, within a melodic framework ( Ishal), in Arabi Malayalam by the Mappilas of the Malabar region in Kerala, India. Mappila songs have a distinct cultural ...
* Kondotty
Kondotty is a developing town, municipality, and aerotropolis in the Malappuram district state of Kerala, India which is located near Calicut International Airport, 24 km from Malappuram. It is the headquarters of Kondotty Taluk, which wa ...
* Maha kavi moyinkutty vaidyar smaraka
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaidyar
Indian male poets
1852 births
1892 deaths
Poets from Kerala
Mappilas
19th-century Indian Muslims
People from Malappuram
Malayalam poets
19th-century Indian poets
19th-century Indian male writers
Arabi Malayalam poets